1998 Chevy Camaro - The Burnout King

My daughter claims her college education was spent on my '98 Camaro.

"I often buy cars when my wife is out of town." If you were to ask any married man about that quote from Scott Miller, he would tell you that it sounds like a recipe for disaster. But Scott says he’s been able to make it work. For example, in 1998, he had been looking for a new car while his wife was away on vacation. And like any savvy wife, she probably anticipated what was about to happen. True to form, Scott bought a brand-new Camaro, then called his wife to deliver the news. (Hint to all single guys: Bad news is often better delivered over the phone.) When wife Shannon learned of the acquisition, her response was, "Too bad—you could've had the BMW!" But she was just yanking Scott’s chain. The couple has made the most out of that Camaro for the last 13 years. In the intervening time, Scott has slowly been assembling a quick summer machine that he takes to Brainerd International, where his best pass is an 11.63 at 118 mph. That’s impressive for a mildly warmed-over LS1. There’s no huge cubic-inch stroker here, just a stock short-block 5.7L with a cam, heads, and some intake work. Even more surprising is that the 4L60E is also stock, fitted only with a Yank 10-inch converter. Scott takes great pride in driving the Camaro 80 miles each way to the track, with the slicks and the jack stuffed in the back. While this might be a late-model cruiser with tons of amenities, some things never change.

2/7

My wife knows my Camaro is at the line by the size of the burnout.

Engine: The modified-parts list is short given how well this Camaro runs. The short-block is all stock at 11:1 compression, with the greatest change being a Comp Cams 224/224 degree hydraulic roller with 0.581-inch lift. Doug Rippie Motorsports (DRM) ported the stock LS1 heads, adding Manley valves and titanium retainers. Tuned Port Induction Specialties (TPIS) modified the LS6 intake, and Scott added a Nick Williams 90mm throttle-body. Scott also added a set of Hooker headers, but you won’t find any nitrous solenoids or a hidden turbo. All this delivered 405 rwhp on the chassis dyno.

3/7

Transmission: Again, there’s not much to report other than a 4,000-rpm stall-speed Yank 10-inch converter with temperature control moderated by a TCI cooler.

Rearend: Here is where perhaps the most significant changes have been made. Scott added a Strange 12-bolt rear-axle assembly complete with 3.73:1 gears, a spool, and Strange axles to help the hook and add durability.

4/7

Suspension: To lighten the F-body slightly, Scott opted for a Spohn front K-member along with tubular A-arms, subframe connectors to stiffen the chassis slightly, and a tubular Spohn torque arm to replace the stamped stocker. The front brakes are stock, with the whole assembly damped with QA1 front coilovers for a little more front-end rise, working in conjunction with Hotchkis rear springs and QA1 shocks.